Plot Summary
Convinced that mutants pose a threat to humanity, Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) develops the Sentinels, enormous robotic weapons that can detect a mutant gene and zero in on that person. In the 21st century, the Sentinels have evolved into highly efficient killing machines. With mutants now facing extinction, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) volunteers to go back in time and rally the X-Men of the past to help change a pivotal moment in history and thereby save their future.

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Forgot Thor even has a helmet? He wears it a lot in the comics, but in the Marvel films, covering up Chris Hemsworth's good looks for any length of time would be criminal. Besides, when you're the God of Thunder who wields a mighty hammer, do you even need a helmet?

Another knight who has little use for protecting his head: Navarre (Rutger Hauer) dons the helmet only in the film's final battle. It looks far too light to offer much protection but the wing-like look underlines his tie to his lady-love (Michelle Pfeiffer), who was cursed to be a hawk by day. Perhaps a wolf-inspired helmet would have been more appropriate.

From the spiky-tipped monstrosities worn by the film's villain (Mickey Rourke) to the fanciful, sunburst or barely-there headpieces sported by the Olympians, these helmets are all style, with very little purpose, thanks to the imagination of the late Eiko Ishioka.

Sure, the helmets Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and his other Spartan warriors wear are rugged and cover just about every inch of their heads. But what's the point when they're going into battle in just their undies? The better to appreciate their jaw-dropping abs, of course. They meet their fate unhelmeted, so why did they bring them along at all?

Sure, the helmet is cool but when every single Judge wears one for the whole movie, how can you tell them apart, especially during a climactic Judge vs. Judge fight? All the high-tech gadgetry went into the Judge's voice-activated weapons, not the headpiece. The only one who goes helmet-less is Dredd's psychic partner, since it interferes with her abilities.

How can we tell this bounty hunter has been scouring the ends of the galaxy for fugitives all these years? Because his chipped and battered helmet tells the whole story. And he's not exactly the kind of guy to spend his reward money on a shiny new helmet, now is he?

We learned in “X-Men: First Class” that Magneto's trademark helmet first belonged to Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon). It does its job well, blocking any pesky thought control from do-gooders like Professor X. Its design allows for maximum visibility while its cheek guard serves to dramatically emphasize the mutant's intense, metal-bending stare.

Ahh, Loki. He doesn't wear his horned helmet all that often, only when he wants to really intimidate the masses. You have to admit, it's impressive, if not very practical, unless he chose to head-butt someone with it. That, of course, is hardly Loki's style and he's all about style. (Tom Hiddleston admitted the helmet was horribly heavy and he could hardly hear with it on.)

Of course Tony Stark's helmet is also his in-flight dashboard, with commlinks, status updates, and nifty targeting functions. When the helmet is flipped down, the Iron Man mask is all business, like a permanent scowl. If he shows up, he's either there to blast you to kingdom come or maybe just to party.

We always knew that something terrible lay beneath that sinister black shell with its jutting, insect-like mouthpiece and Nazi-inspired design. When we caught a glimpse of the scarred flesh underneath, we understood why just any helmet wouldn't do. It's not just there to intimidate, but to serve as a breathing apparatus for the badly damaged villain. Best of all, if you're Vader, it doesn't affect his mind control powers in the slightest.

When Maximus needs to fight to the death and conceal his identity from the murderous emperor, he grabs a metal masterpiece that's just as solidly built and impressively tough as Maximus himself. He only wears the helmet in one battle, but it's a pivotal one. The moment where he takes if off to deliver his famous revenge speech still gives us chills. It lacks only a spiked top to use as a weapon but that might be, er, overkill.

Just before Sabretooth (Tyler Mane) grabs Storm (Halle Berry) at the train station, he shoves a guy standing behind Storm to the side. A wire attached to the man can clearly be seen before he is yanked off screen.

When Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming) is inside the Oval Office, he jumps on the President (Cotter Smith). In one shot, the President’s leather desk chair is turned away from the desk, with the back close to his head. In the next shot, the chair is turned around in the other direction.

When Mystique (Rebecca Romijn) is looking through the guard files to find a suitable candidate, one guard profile flashes with the name "Donner, L." While the photo of the guard is clearly of a man, the sex reads “F.” Also, while not necessarily a mistake, “Donner, L” may refer to Lauren Shuler Donner, one of the film’s producers.

In this scene, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) attacks the SWAT member in the Mutant Academy kitchen while Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) takes cover. The first shot shows bullet holes in the back wall and a Dr. Pepper bottle knocked over on the counter next to a basket full of items. In the next shot, the soda bottle is standing up, the full basket is missing, an empty basket appears near the edge, and the bullet holes in the wall are in different spots. Also, the white chair has moved closer to the window in the second shot.

In the first shot, when Xavier (Patrick Stewart) is talking with Logan (Hugh Jackman), Xavier’s shoulders are at the same level as the back of his chair. A few shots later, the back of the chair is above his shoulders and all the way up to his head. The chair backing also looks like a completely different style from the previous shots.

In the scene where Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is talking to Stryker (Brian Cox) in the mansion corridor, Bobby (Shawn Ashmore) creates an ice wall between them. Shortly afterwards, when they leave and Bobby moves his hand away, the wall has no frost on it.

Most important, there is an emotional undercurrent in this installment that the earlier films only aspired to. When for a brief moment, the younger Charles Xavier meets the older, there is the sense of time's mystery - and also of the long, magnificent slog of a purpose-driven life.
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Fox
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